Offering healthier dining options is essential in today’s competitive marketplace, even for a brand built on indulgence. Sometimes, though, it takes clever marketing to draw consumers’ attention to these better-for-you items.
CKE sister brands Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. did just that with the June...

While historians and quick-service industry veterans alike still hotly dispute the exact origin of the drive-thru window, one thing is certain: The rise of the auto industry revolutionized the fast-food business. Quick-service restaurants evolved in tandem with Americans’ growing use and purchase...

Q: Can you give me some pointers on reaching out to the Hispanic market?
A: The Hispanic market deserves our attention. There are more than 50 million Hispanics living in the U.S. and, by 2050, that number is projected to grow to 130 million. Hispanics are our country’s largest ethnic group,...

Snacking between meals has etched out its own niche, turning the tables on the traditional three-daypart model. The resulting shift in restaurant dayparts has quick-service operators working hard to attract snackers, especially those seeking healthy snacks to suit their active lifestyles.
Consumers...

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series on pricing strategies within the quick-service restaurant industry.
Recently, I went on a road trip across the Midwest, and on that trip I consumed more than my fair share of fast food. As I darted between Burger Kings and Taco Bells, I began to notice...

Twitter users who engage with quick-service brands via the social media platform are more likely to visit a restaurant, according to new research on the quick-serve dining segment released by Twitter.
Twitter conducted its “QSR Insights Survey” over a four-week period in March 2014 in conjunction...

A lot has been said about the dramatic transformation the limited-service restaurant industry has experienced in the last five to 10 years. Observers have noted a range of factors that have shoved along the change, from the pressures to offer healthier food to younger generations’ desire for more...

For years, Richard Pink mused about expanding his family’s iconic Pink’s Hot Dogs beyond its famed Hollywood location. But he was turned off by the daunting idea of building out the company, hiring more employees, and keeping tabs on franchisees. So he found another way.
In the last few years, Pink...

Dig Inn Seasonal Market, a fast-casual, farm-to-counter concept based in New York City, received $15 million in funding to explore markets outside the city and to build its supply-chain infrastructure.

The restaurant’s founder, Adam Eskin, says expanding its 10-unit operation to new East...

Desserts have been part of the limited-service restaurant landscape for decades. Whether it’s cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream, or other goodies, consumers continue to seek these typically indulgent items to add to their meal or as a stand-alone treat.

I never saw myself baking full-time. It was always in my family—my great-grandmother, my great-aunts, grandmother, my own mother, etc. I was taught at an early age how to bake a cake, and it became a part of our family’s culture. Outside of the home kitchen growing up, I had little exposure to a...

Joe Guith, COO for Cinnabon, has been promoted to president of Cinnabon. Guith will continue to build on the strong momentum created by his popular predecessor, Kat Cole. In a statement, Guith says, “I am excited to be part of such an iconic and popular brand that’s name evokes a positive...

Selling food for profit dates back to the evolution of human society itself: from outside eateries in ancient Rome and China to the evolution of fine dining in France to the mushrooming of the fast-food industry, drive thru, and takeaway inns in the last decade. Restaurants have changed along...

Hundreds of Chipotle restaurants aren’t selling carnitas for the third straight week after the fast-casual chain suspended one of its pork suppliers for violating animal welfare standards. While opting to uphold the company’s standards could prove beneficial for consumer loyalty, the shortage...

When fast-casual chain Zoës Kitchen Inc. debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last April, the Plano, Texas–based Mediterranean-style eatery recorded its initial public offering at $87.5 million. Satisfying an investor appetite for investments within the trendy fast-casual space, Zoës’ strong...

Convenience stores are increasingly taking a larger slice out of the quick-serve pie with fresh food offerings. It’s become such a lucrative business for C-stores that Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-based C-store chain that this week opened its 500th location, is planning stores designed more as fast...

Kevin Kester’s family has been farming in the U.S. for generations. And it’s not just a couple of generations they’ve been farming; more like generations upon generations, way back to the 1600s, specifically in California since the 1860s. Today, Kester owns a 22,000-acre beef cattle ranch in...

When Lori Newcomb found out she had stage III ovarian cancer last year, she made it her mission to learn more about the disease and help other women fighting the same battle. She sat down with her husband, Chris Newcomb, cofounder and CEO of Southern quick-service chain Newk’s Eatery, and together...

While the fast-casual category continues to be the fastest-growing industry sector, the road in 2015 will be bumpy. We will see constant change and challenges around every corner. For industry leaders, there are issues that will keep even the most seasoned executive awake at night.
Here is my top...

Though U.S. consumption is well below other proteins today, seafood will likely be an increasingly important part of the American diet in the years to come. The country’s population is predicted to grow by 89 million between 2010 and 2050 to 401 million people. More people require more food—and...